Flushing mechanism.



N. G. GOREAU & E. M. BABST. PLUSHING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 2a. 1912.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

N. G. GOREAU.& B. M. BABST.

FLUSHING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 2B, 1912. 4 1,09 1,834. Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET'Z.

ffzsses. /z rem fom" M my, nl

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH co., WASHINGTUN. D. c.

' STAWENT ormoni.

NELSON G. GOREA'U AND EMILE IVI. BABSI, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA; SAIDGOREAU ASSIGNOR TO SAID BABST.

EL'USI-IING- IVIECHANISIVI.

Leonesa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.. 31, 1914.

Application filed December 28, 1912. Serial No. 739,081.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that we, NELSON G. GOREAU andEMILE M. BABST, citizens of the United States, and residents of NewOrleans, Louisiana, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvementsin Flushing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to flushing mechanism which may be used forclosets and other purposes.

A principal object is to do away with any valve which directly controlsthe discharge of water for flushing. By eliminating this valve theobjectionable leaking and faulty closing and other difficulties commonin flushing valves are eliminated.

A further object is to provide very simple and efficient mechanism forproducing a vigorous flushing action, especially 1n connection withlow-down tanks.

Another object is to combine in a single valve means for controlling theiushing and refilling operations. A jet is employed in connection with asiphon for starting the flushing action and the invention comprisesmeans for continuing the jet for a suitable time during flushing toinsure the cont-inuance of the operation.

Another object is to positively lock the valve in flushing position bythe action of the float, so long as the water in the tank is above acertain level.

rlhe objects and advantages of the invention will be described, so faras necessary, in connection with the detailed description of theaccompanying drawing, which shows an exemplifying structure embodyingthe invention.

In the drawing-Figure 1 is a vertical section through a tank andassociated mechanism embodying the invention; Fig. 2 shows the mechanismin idle position, the tank being shown in section and the other parts inelevation; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the valve enlarged.Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a modified form of the invention. Fig. 5is an enlarged detail of the upper end of the valve stem as used in Fig.4.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive: Reference character 1designates the siphon as a whole, 2 is the short leg and 3 the long leg.rFhe long leg has a bell-shaped enlargement 4 resting on the tankbotto-m, and pipe 5 proceeds to the bowl or sink to be flushed. Theshape of the siphon may vary greatly but its particular form may be ofconsiderable importance. In the preferred construction the short leg hasa bell-shaped mouth 6, a restricted throat 7 and a gradually fiaringbore 8 leading from the throat to the top of the siphon where a flatabutment 9 is formed. The long leg connects with the short legimmediately below the abutment by curved portion 10. Slightly within themouth of the short leg is the jet or nozzle 12 carried at the end ofpipe 13 leading from the combined flushing and refilling valve, the bodyof which is designated by character 14. The body may be formed in twoparts 15 and 16 secured together by flanges 17 and suitable screws orbolts. This is for convenience in manufacturing, the easy formation ofthe main valve seat, and other reasons which will be obvious. Within thebody is valve stem 20 carrying at its lower end the suitably packed mainvalve 21. In the body portion 15 at the bottom thereof is formed themain valve seat 22, upon which the main valve closes in the direction ofwater flow. There is an enlarged bore 23 surrounding the valve stem andcommunicating with cylinder 24 formed in the upper part of the body. Theupper end of this cylinder is closed by a piston 25 lhaving suitablepacking 26 carried by the upper end of the valve stem. Below the pistonis a port valve 30 fitting the cylinder like a piston and provided withwater passages 31 leading through it in an axial direction. Theperiphery of this valve serves to open and close at the proper times thejet port 40 and the refill port 41. Port 40 communicates with jet pipe13 and refill port 41 communicates directly with the tank. At the upperend of the valve body is pivoted float lever 50. This is provided with acamlike shoulder 51 engaging the upper end 52 of the valve stem.Conveniently about midway of the lever the float stem 55 is connectedand on the end of this is float 56. The operating handle 57 is locatedoutside the tank and fixed to a shaft 58. l/Vithin the tank an arm 59 isfixed on the shaft and this is connected by a link 60 with the upper endof lever 50. A stop 61 is preferably provided on the upper end of thelever or at some other place to limit the motion of the parts, as willappear. Operating handle 57 is usually of considerable weight to causeit to perform a useful function in the operation of the mechanism, aswill appear.

Vhen the mechanism is idle and the tank full, the parts are in: theposition of Fig. 2,

- with. the water level approximately up to the danger point of theshort leg of the siphon. To flush, handle 57 is pulled up to theposition shown in Fig. 1. This moves arm 59 and link 60 until they arein a straight line indicated by the dotted line 1f-fo, Fig. 1, and thenmoves them slightly farther until checked by stop 61. The float lever 50is at the same time moved to the right and the float is depressed belowthe water' surface. Cam shoulder 51 on lever 50 depresses valve stem 20to the utmost and opens the main valve 21 against the pressure in thesupply pipe. At the same time port valve 30 is moved opposite the refillport 41 and jet port 40is uncovered. Vater now immediately flows throughthe bore 23, passages 31 in the port valve, through jet port 40 and jetpipe 13 and issues from the jet 12 in a forcible stream. Both bypositive supply of additional water and by strong injector effect thisstream or jet causes water to overfiow into the long leg of the siphon;the siphon is completed, and continues drawing water from the tank untilthe level of the opening 6 of the short leg is reached. The enlargedbell'4 in the v long leg of the siphon assists in ccmmenc ing thesiphonic action in a manner well understood. As long as there is anyconsiderable body of water in the tank the float is urged upwardvigorously by its floating capacity and thus holds arm 59 and link 60 inthe offset position shown in Fig. 4. This position of the arm and linkin turn lock lever 50 and valve stem 20 in the flushing position so thata continuous strong jet of water is supplied to the siphon until thewater level falls nearly to the siphon inlet 6. At about this time thefloat drops slightly, bringing arm 59 and link 60 again into a straightline. The weight of handle 57 thereupon immediately draws the arm andlink down farther toward the position shown in Fig. 2, and positivelyraises the float a short distance, suliieient to permit jet valve 30 tocut o the jet port and open the refill port 41. The tank then rapidlyrefills and float 56 rises until at the proper level, main valve 21closes and is held by water pressure, and everything is ready foranother action.

In some cases it might be desirable to positively connect lever 50 withvalve stem 20 by suitable linkage, but in other cases this isunnecessary, the water flow supplying ample means for closing the valve.

Now, referring to Figs. 4 and 5, which illustrate a modifiedconstruction: The tank, siphon, jet nozzle, and the valve structure,except the upper end of the valve stem, are

substantially the same as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3`. The method of operatingthe valve is, however, somewhat different. The pull handle depends fromlever arm 71 which may vbe carried outside the tank on a shaft 72.

Within the tank on this shaft is rigidly fixed an arm 73. Looselypivoted on a shaft is a weight arm 74 carrying adjustable weight 75. Apin 76 carried by arm 73 engages under the weight arm and a stationarystop 77 limits the downward movement of the weight arm. The float stem55 is carried by a lever 78 fulcrumed at 79" in a bracket which may bepart of the valve casing 15. At its upper end this lever is forked toreceive a roller 8O on the end o-f arm 73. One side of the fork, nearits Outer end, is provided with a notch or depression 81 to engage theroller. The upper end of valve stem 20 is provided with a transverseinclined cam slot 82 and in this engages a follower 83 carried by Vthelower end of float lever 78. The cam slot 82 is preferably provided,near its center, with a straight portion 84, as more clearly seen inFig. 5, and in this straight part may, in some cases, be formed a notchor depression 85 to engage follower 83.

To flush, the handle is pulled, throwing the parts into the positionshown in Fig. 4. The float is depressed below the water surface; camfollower 83 has raised the valve; the jet is in operation; water passesto it through po-rt 40; the refill port 41 is closed by t-he port valve30 and main valve 21 is opened. Roller 80 on the end of arm 73 is innotch 81 of the float lever fork and the lifting effort of the floatlocks all the parts in position for the time being, although theweighted arm 74 is now supported by pin 76 and tends to return theoperating parts toward cut-off position. Conditions remain the sameduring flushing until the water level drops sufciently to permit float5G to drop slightly. Pressure of notch 81 against roller 80 is thenrelieved and weight urging arm 74 against pin 76 positively moves arm 73downward at the same time moving the float lever 78 to a verticalposition and raising the float. This brings cam follower 83 to thestraight partV 84 of cam slot 82. The valve stem is thus permitted andurged to rise until port valve 30 shuts off the jet port 40 and refillport 11 is open. Water pressure at the supply side of the valve urgesthe valve to close farther but this is prevented by cam follower 83which is now in vertical line with lever fulcrum 7 9 and in the straightpart of cam 82 and f follower 83 away from straight part 84 to cam slotand the valve is fully raised closing main valve 2l and entirelyshutting off the supply. This positive locking of the valve in refillposition avoids a defect which is sometimes apparent in the constructionof Figs. 1 and 2, since in that construction there is no positive lockto hold the valve for a time in reiill position.

The locking of the mechanism in flushing position, as shown in Fig. 4,is not always necessary, especially with elevated tanks. In such casesthe flushing action of the siphon can usually be depended upon when itis once started. Therefore, any suitable means of depressing the floatinitially to start the jet will be sufficient and such locking means asthe toggle members 59 and 60 or cam follower 80 and notch 81 may beomitted. When once the operating handle is pulled suiiiciently to movethe valve past the middle position and into the jet position, the jetwill operate and start the siphon and where there is a suiiicient lengthof the long side of the siphon the flushing will continue whether thefloat is locked down or not. But the construction of Fig. 4 in which thefloat is locked down in jet position is especially desirable in low downtanks, as will be evident from the foregoing.

We claim:

l. In a tank valve mechanism, a body having a main valve seat at oneend, a tank port in one side and a jet port in one side at a pointfarther removed from the main seat, and a movable member in said bodyhaving a main valve to coperate with said main valve seat, and anapertured port valve member to coperate with said ports, and means foroperating said movable member.

2. In a tank valve structure, the combination of a cylindrical bodyhaving a main valve seat at one end, a tank port in one side and a jetport in one side farther from the main seat than said tank port and amovable member within the body having a main valve to coperate with saidmain valve seat, an apertured port valve member, the periphery of whichfits the bore of said body and serves in the opening movement tosuccessively close the jet port to close the tank port and then toreopen the jet port while the tank port is closed, and means for operating said movable member.

3. In a tank valve, the combination of a valve body, a main valve seattherein, a tank port in the side of said body, a jet port in the side ofsaid body but farther away from the main seat, a valve stem, a mainvalve at one end thereof to close the main valve seat, an apertured disksubstantially centrally located on the stem to control said ports, and apiston at the upper end of said stem to close the upper end of saidvalve body.

4. In a tank` valve, the combination of a valve body, a main valve seattherein, a tank port in the side of said body, a jet port in the side ofsaid body but farther away from the main seat, a valve stem, a mainvalve at one end thereof to close the main valve seat, an apertured disksubstantially centrally located on the stem to control said ports, apiston at the upper end of said stem to close the upper end of saidvalve body, means to depress the valve stem and means to hold the stemin depressed position.

5. In a tank valve, the combination of a valve body, a main valve seattherein, a tank port in the side of said body, a jet port in the side ofsaid body but farther away from the main seat, a valve stem, a mainvalve at one end thereof to close the main valve seat, an apertured disksubstantially centrally located on the stem to control said ports, saiddisk and ports being constructed and arranged so that when the stem isin full opened position said disk closes said tank port and leaves saidjet port open, and in closing said disk irst opens said tank port, thencloses the jet port and finally the main valve closes its seat, and apiston at the upper end of said stem to close the upper end of saidvalve body.

6. In a tank valve, the combination of a valve body, a main valve seattherein, a tank port in the side of said body, a jet port in the side ofsaid body but farther away from the main seat, avalve stem, a main valveat one end thereof to close the main valve seat, an apertured disksubstantially centrally located on the stem to control said ports, saiddisk and ports being constructed and arranged so that when the stem isin full opened position said disk closes said tank port and leaves saidjet port open, and in closing said disk iirst opens said tank port, thencloses the jet port and iinally the main valve closes its seat, a pistonat the upper end of said stem to close the upper end of said valve body,and means for operating the valve stem, and locking means for holdingthe stem in depressed position a predetermined time.

NELSON Gr. GOREAU. EMILE M. BABST. Witnesses:

SAMUEL FRJEDMAN, P. A. ELIZARDI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

